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Cell Culture and Cell Engineering Core

Core Director

Owen Woodward
Owen Woodward, PhD
Email
Phone: 410-706-1760

Core Co-Director

Paul Welling
Paul Welling, MD


The goal of this core is to establish a repository of primary renal epithelial cells and clonal immortalized cell lines derived from genetic animal models relevant to PKD.

Our repository will include cell lines from different regions of mouse kidney, specific nephron segments and other tissues. Custom primary cultures and/or immortalized/clonal cell cultures for research base members are available upon request.

Available Cell Models

  1. Pax8rtTA;TetO-Cre;Pkd1cond/cond Immortalized and clonal (beta version)
  2. Pax8rtTA;TetO-Cre;Pkd2cond/cond Immortalized and clonal (beta version)
  3. Pkd1v/v (knock in GPS cleavage mutant) with wild type matched control. Proximal tubule or distal tubule/collecting duct
  4. Pax8rtTA;TetO-Cre;Pkd1cond/cond;mTmG Primary renal epithelial cells
  5. Pax8rtTA;TetO-Cre;Pkd2cond/cond;mTmG Primary renal epithelial cells

We will share the beta version cell lines prior to final release with any research base investigator who would like to assist with characterization.

If you receive cell lines from Core D, we ask that you contact Owen Woodward with feedback about these reagents.

3D Tubuloid Models

We can also offer cell material (#4 and #5 above) and protocols for advanced 3D tubuloid modeling of cystogenesis. These methods allow the transition from tubuloids of defined genotype to cysts after the chemical induction of PKD gene loss. This is a powerful tool for understanding initiating steps in the cell morphological changes underlying cystogenesis in PKD. Please contact Owen Woodward with further questions.

ADPKD Tissue and Primary Cells

In collaboration with the Clinical Core, we offer several resources from our human ADPKD kidney biobank. We have primary cells derived from hundreds of unique cysts from human nephrectomized ADPKD kidneys. In addition, we have the corresponding cyst fluid, frozen and fixed samples, often all from the same cyst. Our bank includes tissue from both males and females, and a number with characterized germline PKD1 mutations. We offer as controls NHK samples and cells (cortex or medulla) collected from kidneys not suitable for transplant. Please contact Owen Woodward with further questions.